Metro Manila, Philippines – The controversial partial report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which recommends an investigation into lawmakers tagged in the flood control corruption scandal, is now just three signatures away from the majority support needed to move the legislative probe forward.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, the committee chair, earlier suspended the inquiry pending the collection of at least nine signatures or majority of the panel members. This is required to sponsor the report in plenary for debates.
In a statement on Thursday, April 16, Lacson said two additional senators have signed the report: Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, an ex-officio member, and Blue Ribbon vice chair Erwin Tulfo.
This brings the total number of signatories to six, leaving the report three signatures short of the required majority.
Aside from Lacson, Sotto, and Tulfo, the other signatories are Senators Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros, and Kiko Pangilinan.
The committee members who have not signed include:
JV Ejercito
Pia Cayetano
Win Gatchalian
Lito Lapid
Loren Legarda
Raffy Tulfo
Mark Villar
Rodante Marcoleta
Joel Villanueva
Jinggoy Estrada
Bong Go
Imee Marcos
Robin Padilla
Ex-officio: Migz Zubiri
Ex-officio: Alan Peter Cayetano
“One of the reasons why the other majority members have not signed or at least reluctant to do so is that they were being ‘requested’ by some of their former majority bloc colleagues,” Lacson said.
The report calls for an investigation into minority senators Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, and Joel Villanueva over their alleged involvement in budget insertions and kickbacks tied to flood control projects. All three have denied the allegations.
It has been two months since the report was circulated. An earlier draft recommended the filing of charges against implicated senators but was later “corrected” following concerns raised by colleagues. Lacson agreed that the Senate cannot make recommendations to the courts.
Lacson added that at least two more senators, whom he did not name, have expressed willingness to sign the report.
“I told SP Sotto earlier that I won’t plead with our fellow BRC members to affix their signatures on the partial committee report because I respect their individual decisions, whatever reasons they have in refusing to sign. Hence, SP Sotto promised to help in that regard,” Lacson said.
